Just as you don't think about your eye color every day, people with visual impairment don't always think about their condition every day either.

If a visually impaired person asks for assistance, don't hesitate to help.

People rarely lose their eyesight during their teen years. When they do, it's usually caused by an injury like getting hit in the eye or head with a baseball or having an automobile or motorcycle accident.

Perhaps this holds truest within the special education realm. Equipping your child or student with the right iPad and iPhone apps can enhance his or her learning process.

As the term indicates, a visual impairment involves an issue with sight which interferes with a student’s academic pursuits. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) officially defines the category as “an impairment in vision that, even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.”

Early intervention can help a child strengthen his or her vision. This means that as a parent, you should waste no time if you suspect that your child possesses a visual impairment.

Visual impairment in the classroom

Visual cues are central to most early childhood education systems.

In a school environment, visual impairments can cause difficulties when it comes to traditional reading and writing activities, reading at a distance, distinguishing colors, recognizing shapes and participating in physical education games which require acute vision, such as softball and kickball.

Accommodations do not reduce grade level standards but rather help provide access to the course content. They do not alter the amount or complexity of the information taught to the student. Accommodations are changes in the program from a way things are typically done so that a student with a disability can have equal opportunity to participate and allow the student to be successful. These changes do not substantially or fundamentally lower or alter the standards.

Be based on current individualized needs;Reduce the effect of the disability to access the current curriculum;Be specific about where, when, who and how the accommodations will be provided;Include current input from parents, teachers, student, and therapists;Be based on current specific needs in each content area.

Changes in the medium used:braillelarge printaudiotapeelectronic textoral testing/scribing Changes made in the way materials are presentedCopies of overhead projector/smartboard activities to be viewed at his/her desk as needed.The teacher or presenter should verbalize all information as it is written on the board or overhead. Information presented on the board should be in a high contrast color. Use a slant-board to position papers appropriately for reduced visual strain and to avoid glare.The computer screen should be eye level and tilted to avoid glare.Use recorded text as needed.Classroom recording of lectures/instruction by the student.Large Print textbooks/materials.Braille textbooks/materials.Clear, dark copies of worksheets.Use of a reading guide to assist in keeping place while reading and completing worksheets.Present materials against a plain backgroundUse a good contrast background and present on a contrasting tray or mat. Time requirements:Time and a half or double timeConsideration for the student's reading/writing speedConsideration for the time needed to use adaptive equipmentConsideration for eye fatigue and scanning ability Changes in the way students demonstrate learningModified assignments (when appropriate and needed) to accommodate visual fatigue (extended time and/or shortened amount of assignments).Avoid activities requiring extensive visual scanning.Avoid visually cluttered materials.Allow students to use (bold marker, 20/20 pen, mechanical pencil, or another unique writing tool) to complete assignments.Use of bold line paper.Use of raised line paper.Abbreviated homework assignment (includes all concepts, just fewer items).Shorter written assignment.Oral testing. Changes in Setting: preferential seating in the classroom for all films, assemblies and demonstration lessons.seated facing away from windows.permission to move about the room as needed to see information presented away from his/her desk. Changes in the Setting: EnvironmentAvoid glare in general from overhead lights. Consider placing light filters on fluorescent lights.Open and close doors fully (a half-open door can be a dangerous obstacle).Eliminate unnecessary background noise. Consider isolation headphones.Eliminate clutter from the room, particularly in aisles and movement paths.Place materials in consistent places so that students know where particular items are always located.Preferential locker position and locks with keys vs. combination locks.Use of task lighting as needed.

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In this lesson, students will use their creativity, a graphic organizer, and a fun story to learn about character analysis.

Using traditional teaching methods, educators may default to teaching literature by widely accepted classic authors: William Shakespeare, J.D. Salinger, and Charles Dickens, for example, adhering to widely accepted interpretations of the text. Culturally responsive teaching, on the other hand, acknowledges that there’s nothing wrong with traditional texts, Childers-McKee says, but strives to include literature from other cultures, parts of the world, and by diverse authors. It also focuses on finding a “hook and anchor” to help draw students into the content using their past experiences.

When integrated into classroom instruction, culturally responsive strategies can have important benefits such as: Strengthening students’ sense of identity  Promoting equity and inclusivity in the classroom Engaging students in the course material Supporting critical thinking

1. Activate students’ prior knowledge.

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) is a philosophical outlook towards one’s approach to teaching that informs the what, the how, and the why. CRP focuses on the academic and personal success of students as individuals and as a collective. It ensures students engage in academically rigorous curriculum and learning, feel affirmed in their identities and experiences, and develop the knowledge and skills to engage the world and others critically.  

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy equips us as teachers to provide our students with the type of education they not only deserve but are entitled to.  An education that recognizes and celebrates their identities, lived experiences and culture. An education that nurtures their inherent brilliance and infinite potential.  An education that doesn’t set them up to “fit into,” accept or replicate an inequitable system, but one that equips them with the tools to transform it. An education that cultivates strong trunks, beautiful branches, colorful leaves, and deep roots.

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy is a theoretical model that focuses on multiple aspects of student achievement and supports students to uphold their cultural identities. Culturally Relevant Pedagogy also calls for students to develop critical perspectives that challenge societal inequalities.

Post information in a clear and accessible way about how students can do well, and if needed, what they can do to improve their performance. Grading rubrics can be an efficient way to inform students about how you assess their work and how to meet expectations for success.

Posting daily schedules Displaying classroom rules and expectations Encouraging peer to peer instruction and leadership Using signals to quiet down, start working, and putting away materials. Giving students folders, labels and containers to organize supplies. Checking in with students while they work Utilizing proactive rather than reactive interventions as needed Speaking to students privately about any concerns Employing specific, targeted positive reinforcement when a student meets a behavioral or academic goal.

5 Inclusive Classroom StrategiesGet to Know Your Students and Let Them Get to Know You. Establishing a bond with your students takes time. ... Create a Safe Space for Students to Share. ... Deliver Instruction in a Variety of Ways. ... Choose Relevant Literature. ... Invite Guest Speakers to Share Their Stories.